Are you supposed to do the things you love?

This is a genuine question I am asking myself. This is not an attack on anyone, it’s just something I’ve been playing around with in my head. Here’s the thing, people say you should do what you love or what you’re good at, but for me those are two distinctly different things. I love being creative and doing stuff like writing or playing music. However, making a living out of it would require some actual quality and that’s severely lacking. I am not good at what I love. I am decent enough, but not good. So what is it I am supposed to do? I am good at rational thinking, studying and understanding, but none of these things interest me. Learning a text book by heart is within my capacities, but making a career out of that seems tedious and unfulfilling. So, are you supposed to do what you love?

A friend and I watch Nashville together which is a show about country singers who try to fight their way through life, in a nutshell. I love it, but it also makes me groan in frustration countless times because of it’s unrealistic tendencies. Being commercial is seen as evil and anyone suggesting anything profitable Is all but shunned away from. I mean, I guess integrity is important when it comes to being creative. But at the same time I wonder if sometimes it’s not a little bit useful to be practical as well. And sure, I get that you don’t want to compromise on your art, but maybe keeping an extra job around in that case to actually support yourself is a good start.

I’m not sure what point I’m trying to make, I’m genuinely wondering about this a lot. Because what if we end up a generation of people pursuing our dreams? Will there be anyone left to do the mundane even if that does not garner fame and popularity or direct fulfilment? Personally, I think finding a balance between doing what you love and doing what can financially support you is a pretty good deal even if that means that a part of your time will be spend on something that you might not necessarily love. What do you think? How far would you go to do the thing you love?